The Highest Form Of Killing
by Magical Shovel
Summary: It's been two years since Marni's sudden death and Nathan is a grieving widow. Mag arranges for him to go on a date with someone who's appearance is too similar to Marni's... Rated 'T' for violence.


**Disclaimer:**The following characters are not my own except for the exception of Maxine and Mrs. Thomas. The rest belong to DLB, TZ, and DS. Also, I wanted to write something different than my normal stories.

**The Highest Form Of Killing**

_Marni_. Everyone reminds him of her. Ever since that tragic day, Nathan Wallace still lives in the past. All he can do is sit with his head and his eyes and mourn. It's pathetic. He feels so... vulnerable. Worse, he feels weak. This _never_ happened when he was with Marni. There was only positivity. There was always happiness. She brought the light to his life. She lit up his dark path. The route he was bound to go down. She prevented that with her cheerful smiles. They lit up his life. He learned to smile. To enjoy life and it's expectations. Now he can only forsake and damn life as it is.

He feels no justice nor will he ever. It feels like someone tore his heart in half and chucked away half of it. They left one half in the cold to die. The other half died long ago. It was carelessly dumped into the fire. Nathan has never felt so lost before nor has he ever felt so alone. He only has Shilo. Shilo has become the world to him. She's only two years old. It's been that long. Two years and he still can't shake it from his head. The memories seem so fresh and vivid. He remembers Marni choking up the blood as she covered her hand to conceal it. He remembers her fall. He remembers the attempt to save them both. Only one survived though. Sometimes, he wishes it was Marni. That is the greedy part of him. Sometimes, he wishes it was the both of them. Marni would be so proud if she saw her daughter... All in all, he's glad one of them survived. He's happy that Shilo is alive. It's his job to protect her.

He will keep her out of harm's way no matter what the cost. That's his occupation after all. He's her father. He has to keep her safe. She needs to live a sheltered life. Nathan doesn't want Shilo to die young and by the gun. He doesn't want her to become Marni's duplicate. He is still just a grieving widow in this harsh world. He runs one of his pale hands over his face and into his unruly, brown hair. Still, Nathan can't help but to reflect on the distant past. The surGEN turned Repo Man is afraid of what the future has in store. In the present, he feels only sorrow and loneliness. At least in the past, he felt warm and... loved.

That's not the problem. He knows Shilo loves him. She's still young. Surprisingly, as the days go by, she looks more and more like her mother... He shakes his head at the thought. _That's nonsense. Shi's only two._Only two, but the warm look in her chocolate-colored eyes tells much more. It's the same warmness Marni once had. ...Back to his concerning problem. He loves Shilo. Shilo loves him. But that was what family did. They loved. They cared about each other. They laughed through the good and the bad. He needed someone to be _close_ to. Someone to _love_. Now the thought seems foolish to him.

Both hands cover his face. His glasses rest upon his wooden nightstand. _Now that I think about it, I can't leave Shilo alone..._He never once thought Mag was the type to play matchmaker, but apparently she was. Tomorrow, Nathan is to go on a date. A blind-date. In some instances, irony is so rich. A _blind_ woman sets a _blind_-date between two people. A low chuckle bubbles from Nathan's gut. It isn't your average laugh. It's the pessimistic kind.

"It'll be good for you, Nate." Nathan sighs as he looks at Marni. This is earlier in the day, the morning to be precise. Nathan was just arriving at GeneCo's overbearing doors. Mag stands there, waiting for him. Waiting for Nathan. To talk to him. At first, he can hardly believe his eyes. He blinks once. Twice. Mag is still there. A small smile is on her face. Her false cerulean eyes twinkle and whirl as they continue to function. There is no life to them at all. The falseness is so harsh... It's sad. She wanted eyes. Real eyes. Not hideously fake ones that she now regrets.

"I don't need this, Mag-"

All attempts of protesting are futile. Mag, in ways, was just like Marni. She is direct and firm when it comes to her beliefs. Full of concern, she reaches out to him. Nathan pulls back like a wounded animal, turning his head in a small amount of shame. He feels like he has resorted to dwelling on the dirt. "It'll be good for you," Her voice is calm, soft. It's so reassuring. It's so tempting to take her offer. He ends up agreeing.

She smiles, "After all, Nate. You _need_ a woman in your life now."

"Yeah," he murmurs.

In all honesty, he's surprised that Mag does not hate his guts. He continuously thought that Magdalene hated Nathan for losing Marni. Marni was all Mag had. Marni was all Nathan had. Now they were alone in their own ways. Nathan is far more lost than Mag. She continues to find the light in the darkness. Death comes at unfortunate times, as the old saying goes. It's never expected. It's never welcomed. It just happened. Some believe that fate walks hand and hand with the situation. Nathan refuses to believe this. It happened for a reason and he can't quite cope with why that reason came to be.

"I don't hate you," she instantly responds as if she has read his mind. Nathan shudders at the thought. Then again, all women are like that. It's in their genetics. They call it intuition or something along the lines of that. "And it's not your fault." He's surprised that she even said that. _Of course I'm to blame. She slipped. I lost her. I couldn't save her. I was the one who killed her. _It's a part of the bloody regrets. "Nathan," Her tone becomes soothing as if she's coaxing a small child. "You never did anything wrong. You tried, but you couldn't save her. It's okay to feel wounded." He sighs heavily. She reminds him about tomorrow's date. They bid their adieus. Now he has no choice,_ but _to go.

Now, here Nathan lies. He turns his head. He can't sleep. The rest he needs will not come. A part of him looks forward to the date. The other part dreads it. He can never let go of Marni. She will forever rest in his shattered and bruised heart. He tosses and turns, trying to find a more comfortable position. It's useless. Both muscles and tendons ache in the process. It's not fair. Nothing in life ever is. There is always pain for Nathan. Everyday, he seems to suffer. Mentally and physically. It's a war for him. The darkness is brutally beating up the light. The dark side of him, taunts him.

Morning comes. Small bags hang below his emerald eyes. He conceals a yawn, crawling out of his bed. The right side remains empty. _Marni's side._He goes to Shilo's room, checking on her. "Dada!" Shilo coos, bubbling as she gazes at her father. A tired smile gently nudges onto his face. "Morning, hunny bunnny." She giggles in delight at the nickname, beaming at him. Smiling, he feeds her and gives her the essential meds. He dresses her, then combs her hair. "Now, hunny. Mrs. Thomas is going to take care of you tonight. Daddy has something to do tonight." Shilo nods in understandment. They grow up so fast.

Noon rolls by. Surprisingly, he has received no calls from Rotti on his wrist communicator. No repossessions today. The thought makes him somewhat... relieved. He has no victims to bestow upon. Nothing to kill. It's a good day so far. Night fall approaches. Nathan quickly drives home to shower and change clothes. He puts on a white button-up top with a pair of black trousers. He tucks in the dress shirt and dons a tie. It's appropriate formal wear. He leaves.

He sees his date in a slim-fitting white dress. He blinks. He does a double-take. He almost walks out of the bar and restuarant. She looks just like Marni. It's frightening. They always did say that you had a twin somewhere in the world. It is all too surreal for Nathan's likes. She turned around. _Just like Marni._ He couldn't take it. His heart skips. His stomach performs flips. She has the same marvelous eyes. They're rich in detail and full of life. The same delicate cheekbones. The same plump, pink lips. The same sparkling smile. The same dark hair, but it wasn't tied up. It cascades to her shoulders.

"Hello, you must be Nathan."

Dumbfounded, he nods.

"I'm Maxine. But you can call me Max."

Even her name begins with an 'M'. It's too much. A voice hisses inside of him. _This is betrayal. Marni's back. She's going to kill you out of revenge... unless you kill her first._Nathan pictures his inner Repo Man smirking. _No._He meekly protests. A voice calls him back to reality, "Are you okay?" It's Max. All he can do is nod. Together, they walk to the restaurant table. They order drinks and a meager appetizer.

"You seem to be a man of few words."

Nathan flushes, running a hand through his hair as a self-made habit. "Yeah... I'm sorry about that." He looked at the shimmering glass of water. "It's that times have been rough." Max nods sympathetically. "Two years ago, I lost my wife..." Her painted lips resume an 'O' formation. Her eyes say that she knew. _Mag told her._ Nathan immediately presumes. He doesn't think about how it was in the newspaper or in the tabloids. He isn't one for scandal and rumor.

"I'm so sorry... I never knew."

_Lies._The voice is bitter, angry. It causes Nate to be angrier. Angry at Max. Angry at the voice. Suffice to say, he only nods. Dinner carries on as well as various conversations. Max isn't a singer like Marni was. That's good in Nathan's opinions. It's one thing that makes her different from Marni. She's a surGEN like Nathan. It's just one little thing that they happen to share in common. Max is brilliant, though. She's one of the most intelligent people that Nathan has ever met. It's turning out to be a nice evening in his opinion. Perhaps he should go out on dates more often. They had a nice reward to them. Someone to talk to. Don't get him wrong, he loves Shilo. But he needs an adult to communicate with every now and then.

Eventually, all things come to an end. Nathan brings her to her apartment. A small smile surfaces. It quickly vanishes as the voice returns. _She can't replace Marni._ _You're weakling if you think that. She probably is Marni. And she'll kill you in your- STOP! _He inwardly cries, wincing from the mental pain. "Are you okay?" Once more, Max shows concern. _She's feigning._ "I'm fine," Nate murmurs under his breath. "Here we are," Max smiled, turning to Nathan.

"I had a wonderful time, Nathan."

"Me too, Max."

"Would you like to come up to-"

_Kill her._

Nathan's eyes widen behind his glasses. Max can't see the fear and growing rage in the emerald orbs.

"-my apartment to chat a bit longer?"

Now, he is at breaking point. He smirks, which is easily mistaken for a smile. Correction, he _is_broken. Nathan fell apart two years ago. No one can repair him like Marni did. Marni was his fix. Without Marni, he falls out of line once more. "I would love too." Max doesn't notice the drastic change of his voice. The timidness is gone. Nathan is slowly disappearing, falling into darkness. The Repo Man is surfacing. He loves to make Nathan Wallace's life a living hell. It's what he lives for.

_See, Nate. We gotta kill her. It's not Marni. She's a different person. She knows. _Nathan chokes. _She knows? Yeah. About my secret Repo life? You bet'cha, you snivelling coward. _No longer does the male feel happy. He feels horrible. He feels wounded. Hurt. Betrayed. How could he be lied to? Nonetheless, right under his nose? He would make Maxine pay. He would teach her. She didn't deserve to live after the suffering she caused him. Marni- Maxine needed to die.

Together, all _three_of them, trudge up the stairs. The silence amongst them is startling. It's enough to terrify anyone with an overwhelming sense of paranoia. The stairs creak from wear. Finally, they reach the top of the stairs and stand before Maxine's apartment. She fishes through her purse, pulling out the keys. _Click_. The door soon after unlocks. When Max isn't looking, Nathan slips on a pair of black leather gloves. He feels just like Luigi, by putting on the gloves. He feels... disgusted with himself. He reminds himself that it must be done. She has to die. No, _must_.

The same thoughts repeat in his mind over and over again. It's cruel. He decides it's fate. _Marni. She has to die. She must. It's Marni. Marni. Marni. Marni. It's her. She's back- __**KILL HER! **_The Repo Man growls out, clenching it's fist. It being him. Him being it. The Repo Man was a monster. Monsters are faceless. They always will be.

Nathan snaps into focus, blinking. He feels like a monster, but the Repo Man convinces him. This has to be done. Maxine must die. Tonight. Now. By his hand. There is no way that he can back out of this. He looks around the living room, quickly studying the features. The only weapon he has on hand is a scalpel. It snugly rests inside of his pocket. It became a habit as a surGEN. He always left one in there. To him, it was a sort of charm. Yet, it brought no good luck. With a flick of the wrist, he sinks the blade into her flesh. Her eyes widen as the crimson liquid dribbles from her mouth. _Just like Marni._ He muses. _Yes, just like her. Make her pay, Nate. She deserves it._The voice chides him. The grin of blood lust stretches and distorts his features.

He'll never forget the shock on Marni's - _Maxi's_ face. The horror. The terror. The shock. The _surprise_. The scalpel travels down then comes to a halt. He pulls it out, slashing across her chest. Nathan regains but a glimpse of his former humanity in this maddened state, "Dear Marni, I am so sorry... Can you forgive me for this?" Maxi. Marni. Max. Marni. They're the same person. He thinks that much. He continues to plunge the knife into her torso. Hatred fueling his decaying heart. The blood splatters, oxygenating in the air. A messy puddle drifts on the wooden floor. Lacerations continue to form. His stabbing slows to a halt. He never once made a jab at her heart. _Why? _The voice asks Nathan. _You'll see._

He reaches into her chest, pushing past muscle and bone to pull out the still-beating organ. "Marni, you broke my heart. For that... I can _never_ forgive you." He drops the heart, sneering in disdain. _This_is the true colors of the Repo Man. It is cold and calculating. Manipulative. It feasts upon hatred and bloodshed. It is the ultimate horror. It is no wonder why Repo Men bring fear and horror into the night. They become a part of horror stories told to brave children. This is why. It's legalized murder. There's no excuse. It's the highest form.

Before Nathan's adrenaline rushes off, he staggers to his home past the cemetery. He's tired, but his body refuses to believe that. Mrs. Thomas left a note on the table. He skims it. She left a few minutes ago. Shilo is sleeping, snug as a bug in a rug. He smiles warily, peeping in to check on her. Shilo cracks one eye open, "Daddy?" Her voice is an inaudible whisper. "Wed... yew..." He smiles softly, "It's just paint, sweetheart. I was painting." She believes him, falling back asleep. He shuts the door and staggers into his room.

"What have I done?" He whips into his hands, falling onto the bed. _You did what you had to do._The Repo Man sneers as Nathan gazes into the mirror.

"It wasn't Marni."

"It was."

"No-"

"Do you think everything happens by coincidence, Nate? I think not. Maxi was Marni. You had to kill her. She _knew_." Nathan, defeated, nods. The Repo Man is pleased with itself, smirking. It's teeth are like the jaws of an animals. Sharp and glistening. It's a monster. _I'm __**the**__ monster... _He thinks to himself. _I'm __**the **__villain..._ The emerald eyes in the looking glass narrow back at Nathan. If it kills Nathan, it dies with Nathan. Nathan has to live in order for the monster to live.

"This..." The surGEN's voice trembles. The Repo Man glares. "_Is_....." An arch of the brow. "The highest form of killing there is."


End file.
